A plague of locusts! The thought of that is enough to cause some people to get all shivery with fear! I am someone who does not like most insects. I do like butterflies, dragonflies, and ladybugs, but that is about it. I certainly would not like a swarm of any type of insect around me! There aren’t as many locust plagues as there used to be, though they do occasionally happen in East Africa and some spots in Asia. However, not quite in the Biblical proportions. A large swarm of locusts can devastate the agricultural economy of any area, and when they swarm to plague status, their numbers can easily top 100 billion of them, enough to cause famine to whole countries, with multiplied deaths following. Our Scripture today is in reference to a plague of locusts, and the promise of God which followed.
To better understand our Scripture, we should give a brief background. The prophet Joel primarily ministered to the Southern Kingdom of Judah during the 9th century BC. (If you have a chance, read Chapter 1 and the first half of Chapter 2 of the Book of Joel.) Joel brings a message from God that He is sending a plague of locusts upon the people as punishment for their disobedience of His Word. Such a message would strike fear into the people. It would be just as bad as if saying an enemy army was descending upon them. As a matter of fact, that is how a plague of locusts is described, just as an army coming down upon the people. They devour the crops, leaving nothing behind, a never-ending horde, sometimes even darkening the sunlight for hours at time. Within a matter of just a few minutes, fields of crops and woodlands are devoured by the multiple millions of locusts, with all leaves, grain, and grass gone for hundreds of miles.
Naturally the people were horrified at the thought of this happening. This was the judgment of God, called in the early chapters The Day of the Lord. Because the people of Judah were not walking faithfully with God, He sent this plague of judgment. The Lord promised repayment and restoration if they would only repent, ask Him for mercy, and follow Him. There is still hope for their future if only they would return to the Lord.
After reading the description of the horrible destruction caused by these locusts, we come to our Scripture passage. The prophet Joel gives a description of what they could expect if they return to Yahweh in repentance, and decide to follow His Word. Our passage opens with the prophet telling the people and the land that they do not need to fear any longer (vs. 21), but instead they can be glad and rejoice. Joel tells the cattle and other wild animals that their feeding grounds will return (vs. 22). The result of the sins of the people had fallen upon them, as well, affecting these innocent animals, but now their grazing land would return.
The Lord continues by promising the people that He will send rain to replenish the fields and crops. Thus the people’s crops and harvests will return (vs. 23-24). That is a reason that they can be glad and rejoice in the Lord. He promises the people that when they return to Him in obedience and fellowship, He will restore all that the locusts have eaten, that great army of insects that have destroyed the land (vs. 25).
When locust plagues occur, almost inevitably a famine will soon follow, as every plant for hundreds of miles is destroyed. Both man and animal die of hunger. God promises that He will restore what the locust has eaten, and the people will have plenty to eat. They will know that this is from Him, as only God is able to do such a thing (vs. 26-27).
Though there are very few locust plagues any more, we can still have major devastation in our lives, often caused by our own sinful behavior. Such events can wreck such havoc in our lives that it could feel almost like a plague of locusts have gone through, leaving us in a crumpled heap afterwards. We can feel so hopeless afterwards, especially if this was caused by our own sin. We wonder if we will ever survive afterwards, and if the Lord will ever forgive and accept us again. During this deadly plague, the people of Judah wondered the same. The prophet Joel reminded the people that yes, the Lord would. If they repented and followed His Word again, He would restore them and the land.
The Lord is not absent during dark seasons, even when they are brought about through sin. When we seek God with humble hearts, He will pour His mercy and blessings upon us. He will restore to us all of the years that the locusts have eaten!
No comments:
Post a Comment